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One of my big goals for 2017 is to re-purpose my ENTIRE STASH of consumer packaging into Trash Bubbles. I can’t even tell you how many pieces I have waiting in the wings… probably hundreds!

Creating Trash Bubbles is, for me, an intuitive process that can’t be forced. It sometimes takes weeks or months to complete just one.

Working on several at a time is ideal for me because it gives me variety. Often when I’m stuck on one, another will grab my attention. In this way, I can keep working and making progress.

Last week, I snapped this pic as I began working on several bubbles…

This week, I managed to finish this one, Wishes and Stars.

It’s a very personal piece for me, filled with encouragement to “Reach for the Stars… Endless possibilities… Warning: Dreams can happen!” echoing all manner of affirmations that have been presenting lately, as I firmly set my intentions for the remainder of the year.

Often, I use a vintage bit, if not true trash, centrally in the bubble. This vintage Westinghouse button helped to anchor the affirmations. Like some of my other bubbles, this one is interactive. All but three of the stars are loose inside and when jiggled they float around… it reminds me of that little vintage game that you shook to get the balls to fall into place…. Please tell me that you remember it, too?

The back side of the packaging got a little workover, too. It tells one that “When you SHAKE it you can transform your LIFE!”

In the end, I was pleased with the way this bubble morphed from glow-in-the dark stars and planets packaging into an encouraging talisman.

Having just switched to Daylight Savings Time here, Spring is straining to break the bonds of winter. So am I. This post will publish on Saint Patrick’s Day. I will be doing a bit of celebrating, but I hope you’ll enjoy this post in my absence. Beannachtam na Femle Padraig!

This first piece took a very long time to assemble, two years, I think. Using only yellow, orange and green sales stickers tends to limit one. It was built around the Belgian Chocolate label. Dreams of Spring is one of the latest pieces in my Consumer Consciousness Series.

Consumer Consciousness: Dreams of Spring

Recently, we made a lengthy drive to visit family in South Carolina. There was so much visiting to be had that I only had time to doodle here and there. Follow the Silver Doodle Map to DADA is what transpired.

Follow the Silver Doodle Map to DADA

Another in my Consumer Consciousness Series, this piece also took ages to complete. I had originally meant it to be an entry for the RED Show mail art call issued forth by Mick Boyle of Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania.

Consumer Consciousness: RED!!!

This next piece is an envelope made from the wax paper I use as my acrylic palette when painting. It was folded, the sides were stitched and it was sealed and reinforced with hand-painted washi tape. I stuffed the inside full of all sorts of goodies.

A flub-up turns scrap, then becomes mail art in this piece for Moan Lisa:

Some of the folks at IUOMA really are Bananas, myself included. Once a year or so we exchange banana themed mail art in celebration of one banana holiday or another. This time, we were celebrating World Banana Day on February 21st and National Banana Bread Day on February 23rd.

In the tradition of my Consumer Consciousness series, I created the ‘Dole Banana Mandala’ and ‘Peel the Love.’

Can you Peel the Love?

Twelve color copies of the mandala were made for recipients far and wide. Each piece was inked by hand in yellow which created the variations in shading. The original mandala became a birthday greeting for Anna Banana, who turns 74 years young this month. Peel the Love is an original, one and only. No copies were made.

Also mailed out in celebration was this little gem…

Paper Mache Banana-gram

So far, I have received five pieces of return banana mail, the first of which hailed from Greece.

In a further attempt at catching up on my mail art correspondence, I offer up these four pieces to the postal powers that be…

Three are from my Consumer Consciousness series. The first one, Hallmark of a Savvy Shopper is off to Portugal.

Hallmark of a Savvy Shopper

Sterilite Expressions will land in Winston Salem, North Carolina. It had an unfortunate meeting with my cat, as evidenced by the upper-left-hand corner chew marks. Both my cat, Zoe, and I think it adds a little something to the piece. (In case you were wondering, it did take her a while to sway me to her way of thinking.)

Sterilite Expressions

We’ve Got the Goods! is heading to South Africa. I hear the plane ride is insanely long… I wonder how long the post will take?

We’ve Got the Goods!

This last one was created in the tradition of the Consumer Consciousness pieces (using one label instead of many price stickers) with a friend in mind. She has been (like most of us here in the US) buried under snow for so long that I’m afraid her only recollection of spring colors comes from her own artwork.

Wintering Spring

I was just reminded by a mail art cohort that I am behind on my BANANA MAIL ART! I guess that means I need to peel off to the studio and get my yellow on!